In the previous five articles, we have engaged in a forensic examination of the historical claims made by Owen Strachan. We have seen how citations from Augustine, Hodge, Vos, and Berkhof were mishandled, truncated, and stripped of their dogmatic context to support a view they explicitly rejected. But historical revisionism—as egregious as it is—is often… Continue reading The Theological Cost of ERAS
Category: Polemical Theology
Louis Berkhof and the Silver Bullet
We arrive now at the climax of our historical investigation. Of all the theologians cited by Owen Strachan in his 2021 defense of ERAS—and alluded to in his recent podcast appearance—none has been more directly influential in the American Reformed seminary context than Louis Berkhof. While it is perhaps an exaggeration to call Berkhof the… Continue reading Louis Berkhof and the Silver Bullet
Geerhardus Vos and the Covenant of Redemption
Having examined Augustine and Hodge, we turn now to Geerhardus Vos, the father of Reformed Biblical Theology. Vos is a giant of the faith, known for his deep insight into the eschatological structure of Scripture. Owen Strachan appeals to Vos to demonstrate that the Reformed tradition has always held to the Son’s submission. However, Strachan’s… Continue reading Geerhardus Vos and the Covenant of Redemption
Charles Hodge and the Nicene Taxis
In our previous installments, we examined the flawed methodology of “Research by Ctrl+F” and the misuse of Augustine. Now, we move forward to the 19th century and the towering figure of Princeton theology: Charles Hodge. Owen Strachan includes Hodge in his list of witnesses, citing his Systematic Theology to argue that the subordination of the Son is… Continue reading Charles Hodge and the Nicene Taxis
Augustine and the “Hence” That Changes Everything
In Part 1, we established the high stakes of historical revisionism and the problematic methodology employed by Owen Strachan and others in the ERAS camp.[1] Now, we turn to the first of Strachan’s alleged witnesses: Augustine of Hippo. Strachan’s citation of Augustine is particularly significant because it appeals to the “Later Augustine.” By citing Answer to Maximinus… Continue reading Augustine and the “Hence” That Changes Everything
The High Cost of Historical Revisionism
The summer of 2016 was a strange season for the evangelical internet. For a few heated months, the blogosphere—usually preoccupied with cultural hot takes or political infighting—became an impromptu lecture hall for Patristic theology. The debate concerned the Trinity, specifically the doctrine of Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS), later rebranded as Eternal Relations of Authority and Submission (ERAS). At stake was a… Continue reading The High Cost of Historical Revisionism
The Weight of Forever: Why We Cannot Annihilate Hell
A Difficult Conversation I grew up watching Kirk Cameron. For many of us in the Reformed camp, he wasn’t just a sitcom star from the 80s; he became a bold, articulate voice for the gospel in a culture that increasingly despised it. His work in The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort taught a generation of… Continue reading The Weight of Forever: Why We Cannot Annihilate Hell
Epilogue: The Horns of a Dilemma
We have arrived at the conclusion of this necessary and sober work of polemical theology. Over the course of this series, we have painstakingly dismantled the theological framework of the “Reformed Fringe” podcast. We began by exposing its foundational semantic error in redefining Elohim (Part 1) and traced this to a flawed, anti-confessional hermeneutic (Part 2). We… Continue reading Epilogue: The Horns of a Dilemma
Epilogue: The Anatomy of a Heresy
We have arrived at the conclusion of this necessary and sober work of polemical theology. Over the course of this series, we have painstakingly dismantled the theological framework promoted by the “Reformed Fringe” podcast. We have exposed its foundational errors in hermeneutics and historical theology; demonstrated its departure from the unified witness of the early… Continue reading Epilogue: The Anatomy of a Heresy
Final Admonition: Pastoral Consequences and a Call to Faithfulness
We have arrived at the conclusion of this necessary and sober work of polemical theology. Over the course of this series, we have painstakingly dismantled the theological framework promoted by the “Reformed Fringe” podcast. We began by exposing the foundational semantic error of redefining Elohim (Part 1) and traced this to a flawed, anti-confessional hermeneutic (Part 2).… Continue reading Final Admonition: Pastoral Consequences and a Call to Faithfulness